Tipping Point
by freedwinner28
Summary: Chase Collins was only the beginning. Over a decade ago, the Covenant had predicted a threat more sinister than any of them have ever anticipated. Unknown to everyone but a few hidden elite, the oldest Son is in the middle of it all. And they are all watching...waiting for the Power that was his very lifeline to drive him to the tipping point. [?CalebxOC]
1. An Ominous Welcome (Prologue)

**9th September, 1988.**

Despite the gloomy weather and heavy rain that fell on the small town of Ipswich that autumn night, the Danvers mansion was buzzing with excitement. William Danvers' wife, Evelyn, had just given birth. It was a beautiful baby boy whom they named Caleb.

To William and the three other Sons of Ipswich, this marked an end of an era and the beginning of a new one. Soon the others, Wayne Parry, Joseph Garwin, and Glenn Simms would also bear sons of their own and the new generation of warlocks will be complete. They would then be facing the tedious task of guiding these boys to the rules of the Covenant, an age-old secret which had kept their families alive during the darkest of times. All that loomed ahead of them but at that moment, William didn't mind. He was too focused on the warm bundle in his arms. He looked down and smiled at the sleeping infant. The first time that the four of them caught a glimpse of him, Joseph quickly pointed out that Caleb was an exact replica of the older Danvers. William couldn't argue with that. His only wish was that the boy wouldn't grow up to be _exactly_ like him. He prayed that Caleb would possess the willpower and self-control that he lacked, especially when it came to using the Power.

"Don't be too much like your old man," William whispered, chuckling quietly.

"Um, guys? I think you'd want to see this," Wayne called out. He was standing by the full-length window overlooking the mansion's massive front lawn. The three men quickly flocked towards where Wayne stood and followed his gaze.

"Are you kidding me?" Glenn mused.

"What _is_ that?" Joseph wondered out loud.

Amidst the pouring rain, lightning struck the soaked ground of the front lawn. It was a common enough occurrence. Centuries of magic invoked within the mansion's walls attracted the elements to its vicinity. What they did found strange was the frequency of the lightning and the precision of its strikes. Like a rhythmic pulse, the blinding rod kept striking the same spot on the ground over and over and over again.

"Any idea what that means, Will?" Joseph asked, looking at the new father and de-facto leader of the brotherhood.

William shook his head and brought Caleb closer to his chest. He had never seen that happen before. However he had a feeling that whatever it meant, it was something pivotal for the Covenant of Silence. And no matter how much he tried, he couldn't ignore the nagging feeling that it will involve the newborn baby that he held in his arms.

* * *

 _ **Author's Notes:**_ Hey guys. So it's been over a decade since the movie came out. Believe it or not I have been tempted to write a fic since then (amazing how time flies). Just never got around to doing it. But this plot bunny has been stewing in my wee head for the better part of the 11 odd years that I have kept it to myself.

And tbh right now the reason I wrote this is to "decompress" my thoughts a little and help with my god awful Writer's Block. I'm still in the middle of concluding another fic...well, trying to. Anyways, not so sure how this is going to be taken or if it will even be read. Are there even still readers who browse under this category? If they do, is Caleb even their type? Haha! So many questions. If you did end up reading my prologue hope I hear from you.


	2. An Unfortunate Event

**23rd October, 2006**.

"Did you hear the news? Caleb Danvers and Sarah Wenham called it quits."

"No. Fucking. Way."

"...Way."

JJ waited for the distinctive sound of the toilet bowl flushing to stop before she stepped out of the cubicle. A small group of girls gathered by the washing area. In it were her best friends, Mia Twoberry and Ashley Bedford. Mia saw her first and turned her startling blue-eyed gaze towards her.

"Caleb Danvers and Sarah Wenham broke up."

JJ gaped at her as she washed her hands. "Oh. They were dating?"

No wonder she often saw Caleb in the dorms. Her and Mia's room were on the same floor as the popular new girl's.

The blonde girl named Trish rolled her eyes at her in disbelief. Mia and Ashley exchanged knowing looks.

"Have you been living under a rock since school started?"

"Dude, they were practically the new _It_ couple," Ashley added.

JJ shrugged and dried her hands with a paper towel. "That was quick." It wasn't the first time that she was the last person to catch wind of school gossip and it wouldn't be the last. Mia and Ashley were all too aware that her gossip radar left much to be desired.

"You have to admit, Wenham is an overachiever, isn't she?" Mia pointed out from where she sat on the sink. "Barely a week in Spencer and she already snagged herself a Son of Ipswich."

"And broke up with him two months later," Added another girl named Sidney, whom JJ shared fifth period with. "I guess being roommates with Kate Tunney helped."

Kate Tunney was the dark-haired beauty dating Pogue Parry, the second-oldest Son of Ipswich who was also a campus heartthrob.

"Hey Mia. How long have you been trying to make Tyler Simms look your way again?" JJ teased, earning a wad of napkin from Mia. Her bestfriend was a family friend of the Danvers and has had a massive crush on the youngest Son for as long as she could remember, which went as far back as first grade.

After exchanging a few more playful banters with the girls, JJ finally excused herself and headed to the school library. Being one of the oldest private schools in the state, the Spencer Academy Library housed tens upon thousands of books with topics ranging from Greek Mythology to Molecular Biology. It was managed by a handful of librarians who were well into their fifties. As much as they were quiet about it, they relied heavily on volunteers to get most of the physical part of the job done. JJ was one of their student volunteers. She came in to help on Monday evenings and Saturday afternoons when soccer practice didn't get in the way.

That chilly October evening was just like any other Monday. So at six on the dot, she showed up in front of the librarian's desk and gave Martha a toothy grin.

"Good evening, young lady," the gray-haired woman greeted her. With a puffy bun, a pair of half-moon spectacles and a light pink cardigan, she looked every bit like the soft-spoken librarian that she was.

"Good evening Miss Martha," JJ replied. "What do you have for me today?"

Martha nodded at the three trolleys of books on her left. "Deidre has returned most of them in the shelves. But with the prelims just a week away...well, you know how it is."

"Say no more."

* * *

It was unusually quiet for a Monday evening. JJ noted that there were less than a dozen students and teachers scattered around the wood-panelled room. More people often stayed late in the library on weekends, either to do homework or simply to take power naps. She concluded that perhaps it was the drab weather that made most of them pack up early.

She turned towards the first shelf on the left and started putting the books away, checking the sequence of numbers and letters on each book's spine to make sure it was put away in its rightful shelf.

A book on Aerodynamics was assigned on a shelf at least two feet above her head. The foldable step ladder was resting against the windowsill a few yards away. She eyed it for a few seconds before deciding to try her luck by tiptoeing and reaching as far as she could to put the book away. She even hopped a few times. All attempts were unsuccessful.

"Here let me," A familiar deep voice said from behind. A hand gently took the book away from her and effortlessly placed it on its shelf. JJ looked up and came face to face with the eldest Son of Ipswich himself.

"Thanks Caleb," she managed to squeak out, taking a side-step away from him. Her thoughts went back on her conversation with the girls in the toilets just minutes ago. With the few seconds that she had, she tried to gauge how he was holding up in the aftermath of the breakup. In all fairness, he looked tired. There were dark bags under his eyes and he looked paler than he usually was. Nevertheless he smiled at her.

"You're welcome," he replied. "Don't take this the wrong way but I think you ought to use the ladder." He looked at the metal contraption casually leaning against the far wall like an eavesdropper.

JJ blinked once. _'Is he really talking to me right now?'_

"I tend to overestimate myself," she mumbled, ducking away to get the ladder before her uneasiness showed through.

Like most highschools, the Spencer Academy student population comprised of the general population of average students from average families and the students of the inner circle, good-looking teenagers who hailed from the richer parts of Ipswich. Caleb was one of them. In fact, as a direct descendant of one of the oldest families in Ipswich as well as being captain of the swimming team, he was a prominent member of the elite class. Now despite all the good things she heard about him and despite having a common friend in Mia, this fact still made her uneasy. High school snobs can be cruel sometimes, especially if they hear that plebeians like her were trying to get friendly with a member of their inner circle. It was better for the both of them if she just walked away.

"Works for you in the field though," he called out. He waited for her to face him before he added, "Left wing midfielder. I've seen you play. You're good."

JJ thought back to her conversations with Mia, whether she mentioned anything about Caleb being the chatty type. She came up empty-handed. Still, she couldn't deny feeling flattered that he noticed.

"Not good enough for state championships, I'm afraid. Not like _some_ swimmers I know."

This time it was his turn to blush. "Shucks. Anyway, tell Mia I said hi."

JJ nodded before propping the ladder wide on its base and climbing on it to put another book on the higher shelves. Caleb turned to go.

It felt bizarre. That was probably the most number of sentences they have spoken to each other in nearly a decade. Her mom insisted that her and the Danvers' only child had been close friends once. JJ herself couldn't remember much of these alleged playdates. They might have wrestled over a ball once or twice when they were really young. Come fourth grade they were practically strangers to each other. It was also around that time when girls began to label him and his three other friends as "hot".

JJ chuckled quietly at the silly childhood memories. Unknown to her, Caleb had fallen to his knees on the mahogany floor. He stiffled a groan as a sudden onset of migraine exploded on his right temple. The pain was bad enough that he lost his balance. Within seconds, he was seeing double. Every sound was ten times louder and echoed excrutiatingly inside his skull. He clutched on his cropped hair to ease the pain.

With every heartbeat, the pain welled in intensity until it became unbearable. A cry of pain escaped his dry lips. With it was a burst of Power he had desperately tried to reign in.

JJ clung on to the shelf by her fingertips for dear life as the ladder swayed underneath her.

'Must be an earthquake,' she thought. She attempted to step down when the entire shelf lurched forward, sending her and dozens of books sprawling to the ground. She fell on her back. The strong impact knocked the wind out of her. For a second she couldn't move, not even to breathe.

Everything after that happened so fast. JJ once heard that a person's last moments passed by in slow motion. Whoever said that had been lying. The massive bookshelf that was about to crush her to the afterlife toppled quickly towards her. Even as instincts kicked in and she attempted backpedalling out of its way, she was certain that she couldn't make it. When the wooden shelf was only two arms' length away from her, she lied back down to the floor as flat as she could and raised both her arms to protect her head. She was moving on pure instinct. Brown eyes squeezed shut as she braced herself for impact.

Three seconds passed. Then five. Ten seconds.

JJ pried her eyes open. What she saw next made her blood run cold.

Caleb's face was inches away from her. His hands were on each side of her head. Balancing precariously on his back was the three-hundred-year-old wooden bookshelf that must have weighed at least a ton or two.

"Oh my God!" she cried out.

These didn't look nearly as terrifying for her compared to how Caleb looked like at that very moment. It was his eyes. What used to be a pair of soft brown eyes now looked dead and as black as night. The whites were gone. In his sockets were what looked like two pools of endless obsidian abyss that caused fear to leak out of her skin. She could only stare in shock as he shrugged the shelf off of his back like it weighed less than a couple of pounds, could only let him hook his hands under her arms and literally throw her to safety before the shelf came crashing back to the floor once again.

By the time the tremors ended and the people gathered around the ruined shelf, what they saw were books strewn on the floor surrounding two teenagers. One was a boy with dark hair while the other was a girl with long brown hair. They were both curled on their sides and facing each other, their eyes closed as they lie unconscious.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** Wow. This piece actually got a few hits. I guess the fandom hasn't entirely died down yet. Here's another chapter for you guys.


	3. Human Error

When Pogue Parry felt a strong surge of Power that lazy Monday evening, he was with Kate in the dorm room that she shared with Sarah. He wasn't too concerned. As much as he hated to admit it, these random spikes had become more frequent ever since Caleb ascended. He couldn't blame him. Bottling one's own Power was bad enough. Keeping a tight leash on Power enough for two exceptionally strong warlocks would be a constant nightmare. Nevertheless he gave his brother a call. Caleb's phone rang a few times before sending Pogue into voicemail. Now that was odd. Caleb always picked up. Always. Before he could ring him again, his phone chirped to life. It was a call from Reid.

"Put your clothes on and meet us at the front. Hurry." It was Tyler. From the heavy puffs in between his words, Pogue could tell he was running. He could hear Reid talking urgently in the background but he couldn't make out his words.

A heavy feeling settled on his stomach. Pogue untangled himself from his girlfriend and sat up on bed.

"What's going on?"

"It's Caleb. Look man, Reid and I aren't sure what happened but we think he's in trouble. They were talking about taking him to the hospital right now."

As if on cue, he could hear sirens wailing from outside of the windows.

"Shit," he muttered under his breath, jumping out of bed and pulling his jeans up his legs as fast as he could.

"Baby, what's wrong?" Kate asked tiredly from behind him.

Pogue was still on the phone. His head was in an awkward position to keep the small gadget wedged between his ear and his shoulder.

"I'll be down in a minute. Make sure Reid doesn't do anything stupid."

"Pogue, listen. I'm not sure if you could tell but that one, the one we felt earlier...it was different. I knew it was Caleb but it felt off."

He could hear fear in the younger Son's voice and he knew better than to brush him off. Tyler was the most in-tune with the Power among the four of them, being the only one who could pinpoint who was using and where. There was a slight commotion on the other line before Reid's voice came up.

"Hey. One of the guys in the team just told me what happened. Our boy trashed the fucking library, man."

Pogue shook his head, unsure if he heard Reid right.

"He did _what_?"

* * *

William and Evelyn Danvers were a power couple. Both came from prominent families and both attended some of the best academic institutions in the country. Both were witty, talented and had big personalities. They were a perfect a match. They were also madly in love with each other. Evelyn may have been more vocal about her feelings for William than he was with his feelings for her but it was clear that he was just as smitten. A single glance from him to her spoke volumes. He didn't just love her. He worshipped her.

However despite all this, their marriage, like any other, had its challenges. Most of it was caused by the one promise that William couldn't keep. He had promised Evelyn that he wouldn't allow himself to repeat his father's mistake and be seduced by the Power. They would raise Caleb together, perhaps have another child or two and live long enough to meet their grandchildren. Knowing the odds, Evelyn took a leap of faith and trusted him. She began having doubts during her pregnancy, when she would catch him Using for the most menial of tasks, often when he thought she wasn't looking. By the time their son learned how to walk, her worst fears had become a reality. William aged before her eyes and developed illnesses which were unusual for men his age. The more powerful he got, the more his body crumbled under the pressure. Evelyn couldn't talk him out of it. He always craved more. The shouting matches started and continued for most of Caleb's childhood. When they weren't hosting elaborate parties or gatherings with the other Sons and their families, they fought loudly behind closed doors.

Once, when Caleb was six, he went into their room in the midst of a row and asked them to stop. It was nighttime. He couldn't sleep.

"Mommy will be with you in a minute, hun," Evelyn told him distractedly.

"He's not just your son, Evee. He's a Danvers too," William continued. His words slurred from the whiskey. "Apparently he's not just your run-of-the-mill warlock either, if there is such a thing. I don't have experience with this kind of ability and I have a duty to protect the Covenant. That's why-"

"You will do no such thing, William!" Evelyn snapped. "Look around you. You can barely keep your family together-"

"-Mom!" Caleb called out. The air in the room changed drastically and it began to fill him with dread. The two adults in the room were still caught up in their anger to even notice this.

"-you are _not_ turning him into some supernatural junkie!"

"If he doesn't learn how to Use then he will end up dead anyway, perhaps sooner than-!"

"-You said it yourself. No one knows what the hell this means. They're just as much in the dark about this as you-!"

"-For Christ's sake!"

"Stop! Stop fighting!" Caleb shrieked at the top of this lungs.

"Shut up!" William snapped. His eyes bled black as he turned to look at the boy by the door. An invisible force smashed against Caleb's chest which sent him sprawling to the floor. His dark brown eyes watered as he fought to to catch the breath that had been knocked out of him.

"You monster!"

There was a sharp crack. William's head snapped to the side. His left cheek stung while his guts burned with shame for what he had just done. Evelyn pulled her hand back and gaped at him in horror.

"You," she said in a low voice. "You are already in too deep in this mess. I barely know you anymore."

She hurried over to where Caleb was and took him in her arms before quickly making her way to his bedroom.

"I'm sorry sweetheart. Mommy is here. Mommy will protect you," she whispered over and over again.

Hours after that incident, in the wee hours of morning, his father visited him in his room. William had begged him not to tell his mother that he had come to see him before subsequently breaking down in tears in front of him. He told him he was sorry. It was the first time Caleb had seen his strong, indestructable father cry so he believed him. He told him it was okay and that the fall didn't really hurt. He was too shocked to feel anything.

When William was done crying, he cupped his son's face and urged him to meet his gaze. Brown met brown.

"Remember this, son. You have so much Power within you. You can't feel it yet but when you grow up, it will all come to you. You will become strong, even stronger than Dad." He smiled but the fear in his eyes were evident. "Be better than me. It won't be easy. But you have to do your best. For Mom, Pogue, Reid and little Ty. Alright, champ?"

"Ok dad." Caleb nodded. His innocence prevented him from understanding the true weight of the older Danvers' words.

William hugged him close to his chest, just like the way he held him on the night he was born.

"Don't you worry. No matter what happens, I'm here to protect you."

* * *

 _No matter what happens, I'm here to protect you._

The last remnants of the dream slipped back to his subconscious as his left eyelid was pried open and bright yellow light shone in front of his eye. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to move his head away when the same thing happened to his other eye.

"Should we prepare an intubation set just in case?" a female voice echoed from somewhere.

"Wait. I think he's coming around," a male voice replied. When he spoke again, he sounded way nearer and ten times louder.

"CALEB, I WANT YOU TO OPEN YOUR EYES. OPEN YOUR EYES FOR US."

The sheer volume of the voice sent another jolt of pain in his skull. The voice continued to wreck havoc in his eardrum and he figured that the only way to make it stop was to do what the guy was asking him to do.

He cracked one eye open and then another. He was in a brightly-lit room. The strong smell of antiseptic and bleach, which he had noticed earlier, invaded his senses even though he had a plastic mask over his mouth and nose. The cool, steady flow of oxygen felt pleasant and reassuring. He blinked once, looked up and saw two people looking down on him. One was a blonde woman in her thirties and the other was a balding male.

"Hello, handsome. I'm glad you came back before we had to put a breathing tube down your throat," the woman said. "My name is Nora. I'm your nurse for tonight. This one right here is Dr. Sam. And I'm talking because I want you to stay with us. Try not to fall back to sleep."

Caleb nodded, ignoring the dull throb that the movement caused.

"Can you tell us your full name?"

"It's Caleb," he rasped. His throat felt like he had swallowed a sheet of sandpaper or two. "Caleb James Danvers."

She continued asking him a few more questions, like his age, his birthday and whether or not he knew where he was. He eyed her stethoscope and blue scrubs.

"I think I'm in the hospital."

"You're right. You're in the District Hospital Emergency Room. There was an accident in your school and we suspect that you may have gotten a concussion from it, though we have to run a few more tests to rule everything out." She stepped closer to him and spoke in a quieter voice, now that he was more awake.

"Do you remember what happened?"

"What happened..." he trailed. He removed the oxygen mask and ran a hand over his face.

He remembered going to the library to hide. Or at least avoid people for a few hours. The quiet atmosphere did wonders in helping him recover his control over the Power because it cleared his head. So he hid there to read and surf the net, all the while trying his very best not to think about what kind of sheenanigans his brothers were up to or from obsessing over Sarah and their disaster of a breakup.

 _'Not good enough for state championship, I'm afraid. Not like some swimmers I know.'_

"There was someone else there," he murmured more to himself. The familiar face popped out of his muddled mind. "JJ Malden?" He shivered involuntarily.

Nora noticed this and mistook it as a sign of worry. She placed a hand on his shoulder to calm him down.

"Your friend is here too. She looks a bit beaten up but she is being cared for by the best people for this job. I know it's easier said than done but try to relax, ok?"

Caleb composed himself to look calm. On the inside, however, it was a different story. The memories of what happened had come back to him with the grace and force of a bullet train.

The headache that was taunting him to let go. The blissful surge of Power which was strong enough to cause a ripple on the library's hardwood floor. The collapsing bookshelf. And finally JJ herself, her hair splayed out and her dark eyes so large he thought they would bulge out of their sockets. In her face was the look of what he could only describe as that of pure horror. He was on top of her, with his back the only thing stopping the ancient bookshelf from crushing her to death. Their faces were inches away from each other. It would be hard to miss his ink-black eyes.

"I need a minute. Please," he asked. He didn't have to act worried. He was already terrified.

The nurse nodded and slipped out to the other side of the plastic curtains.

"Oh and Nora?"

"Yes?"

"If you could ask how...my friend is, that would help a lot." He had to know if she had started talking.

The nurse peeked back inside and gave him a not-so-reassuring nod before walking away. He took out his phone, which thankfully remained undamanged in his trouser pocket, and dialed the number two.

"Pogue."

"Hey man. We're right outside the ER. They still won't let us in. How are you?"

"I'm fine. But we have a problem."

The second oldest Son paused on the other end of the line. "What kind of problem?"

Caleb sighed, feeling as though he had let all of his brothers down.

"Someone saw me Use."

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** Thank you for those who reviewed! Hope to hear more from you. Concrits are welcomed. If you love it (which I hope you do) please do not hesitate to point out which parts you find good. That would really help. Till next time.


	4. Bound

"He was the only one stopping that bookshelf from crushing me, Mia. You've seen how those ancient things look like. It must have weighed at least a ton...and he shrugged it off like it was a freaking book bag."

"...His eyes were black. All of it."

JJ couldn't help but feel ridiculous as she said these words out loud. Even she didn't make sense in her own ears. Mia stood in front of her. The redhead stayed quiet but she could see the doubt in her eyes. JJ looked down on her feet, which were dangling on the edge of the stretcher that she sat on.

"You think I'm crazy, do you?"

Mia shook her head. "Of course not. Don't be stupid. That title belongs to me." When the other girl didn't respond, she added, "Look, I'm sure there has to be a logical explanation why you saw what you saw. The doctor said you might have a concussion. You must've hit your head pretty hard when you fell."

JJ reached at the back of her head to touch her sore goose egg.

"I don't remember hitting my head when I fell." In fact, she was sure she didn't. The painful blow came right after Caleb threw her out of harm's way like she was a weightless ragdoll. That part she kept to herself. She didn't have to sound crazier than she already was.

"Just 'cause you don't remember it doesn't mean it didn't happen though," Mia replied.

"You don't believe anything I just told you."

"Jay, I'm trying to help you. You know as much as I do how you sound right now." Mia bit her lip as her insides churned with guilt. "Please. You're scaring me."

JJ frowned at her, refusing to back down. "I know what I saw."

The two girls paused when the plastic curtains surrounding the bedspace slid open, revealing a very worried-looking Mary Malden. The forty-two year-old practically jumped at JJ and gave her a bearhug.

"I came as soon as I heard that you were brought here. Oh my goodness." She took her daughter's face in her hands. There were no obvious injuries anywhere. "What the hell happened?"

"One of the bookshelves in the library toppled over."

"What?!"

"It's okay mom," JJ added quickly. "I'm fine. Really. I got pushed out of the way before that thing turned me into a pancake."

Mary shook her head. "Honey, that doesn't make any sense. When I was a student in Spencer, those shelves were already _bolted_ to the floor."

Mia braced herself, waiting nervously for JJ's reply. The two girls exchanged glances.

"A freak accident," the dark-haired girl replied, refusing to meet Mary's gaze. She didn't even dare think about repeating to her mother what she just told her bestfriend.

Mia excused herself from the bedspace, telling them that she needed a toilet break. After making sure that the curtain's were closed, she passed by three more bedspaces before sneaking inside the one where the Sons were waiting. Much like JJ, Caleb was also seated on his stretcher. Two strips of tape secured the cut on the outer corner of his right brow. All eyes were on her. Mia took a deep breath before breaking the news in a low voice.

"You guys are fucked. She remembers everything."

She watched helplessly as all four boys deflated in front of her. The oldest Son took it the hardest and she could understand why. Ever since they got the Power at age thirteen, he had been constantly reminding the other three to use it wisely. No one thought that such a blunder of this calibre could come from him.

"The good news is, it looks like she's not saying anything to anyone but me," she added as consolation.

"Is she now?" Pogue replied. "I can live with that."

"I guess it's the most we could ask for...all things considered."

Mia smiled as Tyler rambled on. The youngest Son had the tendency to state the obvious.

"No way. It's too risky," Reid hissed, trying to keep his voice as quiet as possible. Piercing blue eyes turned to Caleb. "No offense man but someone's gotta say it. You can barely keep your shit together this past month. Now, I'm not holding that against you. Everyone knows I'll most likely fare worse if I were in your shoes. But with you struggling and Pogue ascending in less than two weeks, leaving JJ to chance is a trainwreck in the making. We need to make _sure_ she keeps quiet."

Caleb sighed. His shoulders hunched over as he gazed up the ceiling. "I agree with Reid on this one. We need to be able to focus on Pogue once he ascends. I'm telling you, it won't be a walk in the park."

"So what are you suggesting we do?" Tyler asked glumly. "Right now, the only thing I could think of is doing to her what you did to Sarah."

A heavy silence fell on them. The human mind is often unpredictable. Tampering with it could only be done by a fully-matured witch or warlock and even then, it was an extremely dangerous procedure. Hence, it was a practice that was frowned upon by those who possessed the Power.

What Caleb had done to his former flame had been consensual. In fact, she begged for it. Still it haunted the both of them. Neither Caleb nor Sarah had been the same after it happened. The thought of doing it to someone against his or her will was against everything they had been brought up to believe.

Mia felt as if an ice cube had slipped down her spine and she shivered. She took a few steps until she was right in front of the oldest Son.

"Caleb, my family has known your family for generations. And you know we will always have your back."

Caleb nodded. He could never forget the countless hours that Gorman Twoberry, Mia's grandfather, spent looking after his ailing father.

"But please bear in mind. I've known JJ my whole life. This is my bestfriend we're talking about. Be careful with her," Mia pleaded.

* * *

The CT scan went by without a hitch. Caleb had been accompanied by a male nurse named Ian. He told him the good news.

"Nothing to worry about. All your bolts and nuts are still intact and running."

Caleb chuckled at this as he lied on his back on the stretcher. They were already in the hallway when Ian realized that he had forgotten his patient's notes in the CT scan department.

"Guess who's been doing too many night shifts. I'll be right back, buddy. Don't go anywhere."

"I won't. And take your time," Caleb replied. Besides, the hallway was much quieter compared to the ER. He could use a minute or two of silence.

He had just dozed off when the squeaky wheels of another stretcher echoed nearby. He felt it stop right beside him.

"Oh, someone is still in there. Don't worry they should be done in a sec."

"That's okay."

By now, Caleb could recognize that voice anywhere. His eyes flew open. Brown locked on brown. JJ didn't break eye contact when he stared at her. In fact she held on to his gaze as though challenging him. He might remember her looking terrified back in the library but at that moment, there wasn't an inkling of fear coming from her. In its place was what he could only describe as curiosity. The air between them grew thick with tension as a certain realisation hit the both of them at the same time. Whether they liked it or not, they were now bound to each other by a dangerous secret, one that could cost Caleb his life and the life of those he had sworn to protect.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** Sorry for the delay. Real life had to come first as usual. Still have no definite plan as to where this story is heading but the characters seem to tell the story well by themselves. Had the pleasure of discovering something that Caleb and Reid agreed on...for once. And I'm still not over the pleasant surprise of finding out that this fandom isn't as dead as I thought it was. Receiving hits for this story feels awesome. I bet a review would feel even better. Haha! Cheerios.


	5. The Childhood Friend

**Disclaimer:** The Covenant and its characters (save for the OCs) are not mine. I don't make any income out of this piece.

 **27th October 2006**

"Malden you're too slow! If you can't give me a good game then you shouldn't have shown up in the first place!"

On any other day that comment would have been enough to make her lose her temper and snap back. On any other day it would have been uncalled for. That Friday afternoon, JJ Malden gritted her teeth and took their coach's comment wordlessly. She didn't care what others had to say. What mattered was that she got to play in the friendly match against Ipswich High. Orginally Gemma, the thirty-year-old blonde soccer coach, planned on letting her sit the game out.

"Considering what just happened," she reasoned out.

JJ went bonkers and refused to stop bugging her until the coach relented. She needed to play, to be in the field with a clear cut mission of scoring a goal against the opposing team. It was the only way that she could stop thinking about that night with Caleb.

She heard one of the girls call out her name before she saw the ball speeding her way. Automatically, her legs moved to latch on to it. She quickly turned around and maneuvered herself away from the field's center, where Ipswich's defense was at its strongest. She dribbled the ball forward as fast as she could towards the western part of the field, where their goal post was located. Within seconds, Ipswich's right-back was on to her. JJ waited until her opponent loosened her stance in preparation for a tackle before she volleyed the ball with her left foot towards Ashley, Spencer's striker. The pass was smooth and on point. On the fifty-ninth minute, Ashley Bedford scored a goal for Spencer, breaking the tie. Everyone rushed to the striker to smother her in bearhugs. JJ jumped in along with her teammates, grinning from ear to ear. For a few minutes, things were going her way. Her world made sense again.

* * *

After the final briefing, Spencer's female soccer team were on their way to the locker room, chatting excitedly among themselves.

"Malden," Gemma called out, motioning for her left-winger to stop.

"Hey coach, what's up?"

"Someone wants a word with you."

JJ followed Gemma's gaze to find Caleb Danvers on the front row bleachers. He gave her a casual wave.

"What the hell does he want to talk about?" JJ blurted out, unable to hide her surprise. A small tingle at the back of her neck told her that all eyes were on her.

"Everyone's asking the same question as you," Ashley replied as she stopped beside JJ. "Find out for us, will you?" She grinned, shoving her friend forward.

JJ did a slow jog towards the bleachers. The fact that she looked and smelled like someone who had been running for over an hour wasn't lost to her, making her more self-conscious than she already was. Caleb stood up and met her half way.

"How have you been?" he asked. There was a truly genuine look of concern on his face that threw her off-guard. She felt awkward around him.

"I've been great," she replied. "Fit as a fiddle, even. You?"

The dark-haired boy replied with a shrug. "I need to talk to you. I know it's short notice but we can do it while I walk you to the dorms."

"Actually, I'm heading home tonight. As in - "

"Hollywells Road." Caleb couldn't contain a lopsided grin at the dumbfounded look on her face. "Those play dates weren't _that_ long ago were they? I can give you a ride home." He quickly added in a lower voice before she had a chance to hesitate. "The entire soccer team will know that you're leaving with me. Your safety is guaranteed."

The two looked sideways at the group of girls huddled together a couple of yards away. They dispersed in an instant except for Ashley who continued to stare at them, raising her hands as if asking, _Well?_

"JJ, please. Fifteen minutes. That's all I ask."

She sighed deeply before replying. "Fine. Give me five minutes."

* * *

Neither of them said a word during the first few minutes of the ride. The only sounds were the soft purr of Caleb's convertible and the song "Open Your Eyes" by Snow Patrol softly playing on the radio. He could feel JJ's anxiety like an insivible force pressing at the side of his face, making things harder for him than they already were. He sighed inwardly. He wanted to fix this complication in the most objective way possible. Looking at things objectively was what he did best. And yet he was also painfully aware that none of the five plans he had prepared would work if JJ were to lose it right then and there.

They reached a quiet bend in the road which split the forest of tall trees that divided the town center from the suburbs. Caleb drove to the side of the road and stopped the car. JJ's reaction was instantaneous. Almost on instinct, her right hand clutched the door handle.

"Relax," Caleb said. "I promise I just want to talk." He even raised both hands in front of him.

"About _what_?"

"You know _exactly_ what I want to talk about."

This seemed to have an effect on the jumpy girl. She let go of the handle and shifted her body to face him.

Caleb looked out the windshield, bracing himself for the big reveal.

"That night, you saw something that nobody was supposed to see. It wasn't your fault. If I could turn back time I would but I can't. And I'm so, so sorry for giving you this burden. The thing is you cannot tell a soul about it. For your sake and mine."

JJ felt as though an ice cube slipped down her spine. All she should think about was, 'It was real. It happened.'

"What is that supposed to mean?" she asked.

"Look, there's no way to sugarcoat this. There are others out there who are like me...people who are capable of things which cannot be explained. Our kind has paid a massive pirce to keep our existence a secret. Our lives depend on it so a lot of us will do anything to keep things as they are. If they find out what happened, you're going to be in danger. You can doubt me all you want but that's not something that I want for you. So...please," he was begging now. Brown held on to brown. "Let me get you out of this mess."

JJ shook her head. "Not until you tell me the truth. What are you, really?"

Caleb stopped himself from cursing out loud. "What part of you being in danger did you not understand? What I am hardly matters right now-"

"It does to me!" JJ snapped. "The past three days I've been trying to convince myself that I haven't lost my mind with little success. You want me out of the picture, fine. But not until I get my answers."

It was as if a lightbult lit up in his mind. He narrowed his eyes at her.

"Alright. I'll make you a deal."

* * *

At first Mary was puzzled to see an expensive-looking car park itself in front of the house. She wasn't expecting visitors. And even if one of her friends decided to crash in , she was pretty sure none of them bought a new car. Her puzzlement turned to shock which quickly shifted to joy when she saw the now all-grown-up Caleb step out of the car. He walked over to the passenger side and opened the door. Soon after, her daughter's dark hair came into view.

The brunette stepped out to greet the two. "Caleb is that you?"

Caleb nodded with a grin. "Goodevening, Mary. Long time no see," he greeted, chuckling when JJ's mom tackled him into a hug. It's been years and yet she barely changed one bit. She was as bubbly as his own mother was gloomy.

"I haven't seen you in _ages_. And you used to be so short!" She looked up at him, gaping. "Oh my goodness, you are absolutely gorgeous! Don't you think so, Jay?" she turned to her daughter, eyes sparkling.

JJ forced herself to grin while shooting an apologetic look at Caleb. She remained standing a couple of feet away, watching her mom gush over the handsome boy with the most unbelievable secret.

"And by the way, now that you're here I want you to know that I can't thank you enough for saving my daughter's life," Mary said in a more serious tone. "Don't take this the wrong way but I'm glad you were there when that earthquake struck. I'm always going to owe you for that."

Caleb kept his smile despite the guilt gnawing at his stomach.

"JJ would have done the same thing for me. I'm sure of it." His gaze locked with JJ. It was that look he gave her, a look that said he believed what he just said...or at least really hoped that this was true. Either way, it compelled her to back up his statement.

"Of course. It's what friends do."

Mary invited Caleb over for dinner, insisting that there was enough food for three of them. However, the tall boy kindly declined, telling them that his own mother was waiting for him at home. At this, Mary mellowed down.

"I know it's been a long time but tell Evelyn I said hi. And that I miss her."

JJ remembered Mrs. Danvers. Her mother and her used to work in the same law firm and they used to spend a lot of time together in their free time. It was how she met Caleb in the first place. What she couldn't remember though was how they drifted apart. She couldn't recall any disagreements between the two. It was as if their tight bond just suddenly vanished.

Caleb nodded at her. "I'm sure she'll be delighted to hear that." Then he turned to face JJ. "I'll see you around."

"Goodnight," she replied.

Mary and JJ stood by the front door looking at the tail lights of the silver convertible. The latter let out a sigh of relief before stepping into the living room and dropping her gym bag by the coat rack.

"Tell me you're dating him," Mary swooned. "That boy is handsome. He looks just like his father."

"Mom, _please,_ " the younger Malden groaned, collapsing on the couch. "He just wanted to see how I was. The ride home was just...out of the kindness of his big fat heart. And speaking of heart, he literally just broke up with Sarah Wenham."

"Who's she?"

"New girl in Spencer. It-girl in the making. So I'd be alarmed if his approach earlier was more than platonic. Nobody wants to be a rebound." She hung her left leg over the armrest of the sofa, waiting for the dull throb to disappear.

Mary looked down at her, smiling knowingly. "I know you, dear daughter. I can tell when you like someone even if you deny it to yourself. And I agree with you for once. I haven't seen much of him since even before William passed away but I heard loads of what he's been doing both in and out of Spencer. He's a good person. What's not to like?"

JJ remained quiet, keeping the answer to herself.

'I'm about to find out.'

* * *

Despite the fatigue and ache in her muscles from the game that afternoon, JJ couldn't sleep. It was way past midnight. Her surroundings were deafening in their silence. She had been in bed for hours and yet she couldn't find it in herself to doze off. Ever since Monday, she had found it difficult to do so. It was always during the dead of the night when the recent events would play in a loop in her mind. She kept feeling the ladder give way under her leather shoes, feel the painful rush of air harshly exiting her lungs as she slammed to the floor. She still shuddered at the memory of imminent doom and flinched whenever she felt the panic from not being able to get herself out of danger. And then she would close her eyes and see him, the chilling void that took over his kind features. She would remember blinking as a breath escaped his lips during his struggle against the gargantuan shelf, remember feeling it brush against her lashes. She had never been so scared in her entire life. At the same time, she had never been so thankful.

Now as the clock struck two AM, another memory played in her mind endlessly, another opportunity at decoding the enigma that was Caleb Danvers.

 _"I'll make you a deal," he had said. "I don't want you to answer it now because I want you to think it through."_

 _"What is it?" she asked._

 _"I'll tell you everything you want to know. About me. About this...whatever this is. Ask it and I'll answer."_

 _"And in return?"_

 _"In return, once I've told you everything, you will let me make sure that you will forget about everything I have just told you...as well as the events that happened in the library."_

 _JJ stared at him as though he had just grown an extra head. At first she had a hard time understanding what he meant. It all sounded so...stupid._

 _"Wait, you're not talking about erasing my memory are you?" When Caleb didn't answer, her eyes grew wide with alarm. "You're not erasing my memory!"_

 _"Just the ones that have to be taken care of. And it won't be painful for you. I'll make sure of it."_

 _"Absolutely not!"_

 _"JJ..." he trailed off. He couldn't tell her it was the only way. He could do it with or without her consent but she needed to stay out of his true identity and that of his brothers._

 _"Caleb Danvers!"_

 _"I've done it before," he said quietly, "She didn't feel a thing. Just think it through, okay?" He looked down, feeling shy about what he was about to say next. "We may have drifted apart ages ago but I still remember bits about you. You're not the type of person that needs saving. Most of the time anyway. You pretty much got your own back covered. But the stakes are higher now. So...just this one last time, let me save you again. All you have to do is forget."_

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** If I rememer correctly, everyone thought William Danvers died before he Caleb's 18th birthday. He went into hiding once the Power's effects took its toll on his body.

It has been ages but here it is. Nothing too life-changing for our two main characters...yet. Please leave a review if it's not too much of a hassle. That would be appreciated.


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